Inoculation apparatus

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is provided for injecting additives such as magnesium into molten metal so as to prevent the danger of flaring and flashing. The apparatus is a housing divided into two parts by a vertical wall, one part being totally enclosed and provided with a door through which a ladle of metal is introduced and a vertically movable nozzle adapted to enter the metal and the other part is provided with automatic injection apparatus and a control means therefor for delivering a preselected amount of additive at selected times.

United States Patent [151 3,672,653

Hale et al. 5] June 27, 1972 54] INOCULATION APPARATUS 2,546,337 3/1951 Gibson ..266/13 [72] Inventors: Everett W. Hale, Falconer; Paul H. Hawa i et 'g'g' Mon; Edwin! T. Robbelom, both of anno I34 LM Jamesmwm FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 1731 Assign: 5mm)" 552,935 2/1958 Canada ..266/34 T 22 Filed; 12, 1970 1,395,645 2/1964 France ..266/l3 [2 I) Appl' L879 Primary Examiner-Gerald A Dost Attorney-Buell, Blenko & Ziesenheim [52] U.S. Cl. ..266/34 T, 266/1 R (51] lnt.Cl ..C21c 7/00 ABSTRACT [58] Held surch 34 34 3 l LM; An apparatus is provided for injecting additives such as mag- 75/129 130 130 130 nesium into molten metal so as to prevent the danger of flaring and flashing. The apparatus is a housing divided into two parts by a vertical wall, one part being totally enclosed and provided [56] Rdermces cued with a door through which a ladle of metal is introduced and a UNITED STATES PATENTS vertically movable nozzle adapted to enter the metal and the other part 1s provided with automatic IHJECIIOII apparatus and 333730 8/1967 Y a control means therefor for delivering a preselected amount 3236,511 2/1966 MCGI" 266/34 T f ddi i at Selected times 3,063,694 11/1962 Gaw ..266/15 3,365,186 1/1968 Bosetti et al .266/34 T 2 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEUJUNZY m2 3,672.653

SHEET 1 [IF 2 INVENTORS. Everett W. Hole, Poul H.Howkinson8| Edward T. Robbelo'h 0 their Arno? svs PATENTEDJUHZY m2 3.672.653

SHEET 2 0F 2 INVENTORS. Everefl W4 Hale, Paul H. Howkinson 8:

y Edward T. Robbeloth fheirAgRNEYs INOCULATTON APPARATUS This invention relates to inoculation apparatus and particularly to apparatus for introducing finely divided solid material into a molten bath of metal.

In the metallurgical industry there are situations where it is desirable to introduce into a bath of molten metal some finely divided solid component for the purpose of altering the bath or adding to the bath a solid metallic component such as, for example, magnesium or ferrosilicon or silico-manganese or some other well known additive material. In the past, materials have been introduced into a molten bath of metal by means of a gas stream. The results have been successful insofar as the production of satisfactory product is concerned. Unfortunately, however, the methods hereinabove outlined generally result in a considerable amount of flashing and flaring of the metal as it is introduced into the molten bath. This is particularly true in the case of magnesium which is highly inflamma ble and oxidizable and burns with a brilliant light. As a result, one of the most difficult of the problems arises in the introduc tion of magnesium by inoculation into a molten bath of iron. Under these circumstances, the extraordinarily bright flash and flame which occurs during the reaction period is quite distressing to workmen and has been a tremendous deterrent in the practice of introducing pure magnesium directly into the molten metal.

We have invented an apparatus which overcomes these problems, and makes it possible automatically to feed the desired amount of a metallic component into a molten bath of metal without the undesirable flash affecting the workmen.

In a preferred form of our invention, we provide a housing divided vertically into two side-by-side portions separated by a divider wall, one of said portions being completely enclosed, a door opening into said one portion, means for delivering a ladle of metal to be treated to the lower portion of said one enclosed portion through said door, a vertically movable injection nozzle suspended in said one portion above the lower portion into which the ladle is delivered, automatic means in the other of said side-by-side portions for delivering a pre-selected amount of material to be injected into the nozzle and then into the metal, and, control means energizing said delivery means at timed selected intervals.

Preferably the said one portion is provided at its top with means for removing particulate waste carried upwardly from the ladle and with a stack means. The injection nozzle is preferably suspended on a cable which passes over a pulley at the top of said one portion and is connected to a control drum at the control means. Preferably the automatic means for delivering material to be injected through the nozzle and the control means are those disclosed in Hale application Ser. No. 634,171 filed Apr. 27, 1967, issued as US. Pat. No. 3,479,093 on Nov. 18, 1969.

ln the foregoing general description of our invention, we have set out certain purposes, objects and advantages of this invention. Other objects, purposes and advantages will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of the apparatus of our invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical section through the apparatus of our invention on line "-11 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, we have illustrated a framework defining two separate portions 1] and 12 separated by a dividing wall 13. One section 11 is provided at the top with an exhaust outlet l4 and gas cleaner 15. This same section 11 is provided with doors 16 through which a ladle 17 may be moved on rails 18 on a carriage 19. An injection nozzle 20 is suspended in the upper part of said one portion ll by means of a cable 21 which passes over a pulley 22 at the top of the portion. Cable 21 is wound on a drum 23 operated from the control station in the bottom part of opposite section 12 of the housing. The portion ll of the housing is totally enclosed so as to contain any flash or flaring of the molten metal contained in the ladle. Louvers 24 in the side walls of portion 11 permit access of air into the area surrounding the ladle. A fan is mounted in the ceiling of portion 11 which draws high velocity air through the louvers 24 and forces the fumes and exhaust gases through the gas cleaner l5 and outlet 14.

One end of nozzle 20 is connected to one end of a flexible hose 25 which passes over pulley 26 on cable 21. The other end of hose 25 is attached to the discharge nozzle 27 of an injection tank assembly 28 such as is described in Hale application Ser. No. 634,171, above referred to. The injection tank assembly automatically feeds finely divided additive from holding or storage tank 29 into batch tank 30 from which it is discharged through hose 25 and nozzle 20 into molten metal in the ladle. The injection tank assembly is operated by a control console 31 such as is shown in Hale application Ser. No. 634,171. Additive is charged into storage tank 29 by means of charging crane 32 which carries a loading grab 33 capable of engaging a drum 34 of additive fitted with a discharge spout 35 adapted to discharge into the inlet opening 290 of storage tank 29. The injection tank assembly 28 is supported on an intermediate floor 36 which forms the roof of the control area of portion 12. Access to floor 36 is by ladder 37.

The operation of the assembly of this invention is as follows: A ladle 17 of molten metal, e.g., iron, is placed on carriage 19 outside of frame 10. Carriage 19 is moved on rails 18 through the door of portion 11 and the door is closed. The ladle 17 is provided with a ladle cover 17a having an opening 17b adapted to receive nozzle 20. When the ladle is in place the nozzle 20 is lowered through opening 17b into the molten metal in ladle 17 until the end reaches a point adjacent the bottom of the ladle. This is accomplished by an operator rotating drum 23. Immediately upon the nozzle 20 being positioned the operator energizes the injection tank assembly 28 by means of control panel 31, all as described in Hale application Ser. No. 634,l7 I. This forces finely divided additive, e.g., magnesium metal from the injection tank assembly 28 through hose 25 and nozzle 20 into ladle 17. A rather violent reaction occurs with much flaring and flashing of the magnesium, however, this is now all contained and the reaction gases are carried upwardly through gas cleaner is into outlet 14. The result is a complete elimination of the flash and flare as well as the reaction gases of the metallic reaction.

In the foregoing specification we have set out certain preferred embodiments and practices of our invention. It will be understood, however, that this invention may be practiced otherwise.

We claim:

1. An apparatus for injecting pulverulent solid additive materials into molten metal by a moving gas stream comprising a housing divided vertically into two side by side parts separated by a divider wall, one of said parts being completely enclosed, a door opening into said one part, means for delivering a ladle of metal to be treated through said door into the lower portion of said one part, a vertically movable injection nozzle suspended in said one part above the lower portion of said one part, means for raising and lowering said nozzle from a position in the ladle to a raised position free of said ladle, means in the other of said parts for automatically delivering a preselected amount of material to be injected into a gas stream for delivering to the nozzle and control means energizing said delivery means at preselected intervals, said means for raising and lowering the nozzle being a cable carrying a pulley over which passes a flexible hose forming a part of said me ans for delivering material, said hose being connected at one end to one end of said nozzle and said cable being connected to a drum operable adjacent the control means.

2. An apparatus for injecting pulverulent solid additive materials into molten metal by a moving gas stream comprising a housing divided vertically into two side by side parts separated by a divider wall, one of said parts being completely enclosed, a door opening into said one part, means for delivering a ladle of metal to be treated through said door into the lower portion of said one part, a vertically movable injection nozzle suspended in said one part above the lower portion of said one part, means for raising and lowering said nozzle from a position in the ladle to a raised position free of said ladle, means in the other of said parts for automatically delivering a preselected amount of material to be injected into a gas stream for delivering to the nozzle and control means energiz- 5 ing said delivery means at preselected intervals, said one enclosed part being provided with louvers for admission of air.

# t i i I 

1. An apparatus for injecting pulverulent solid additive materials into molten metal by a moving gas stream comprising a housing divided vertically into two side by side parts separated by a divider wall, one of said parts being completely enclosed, a door opening into said one part, means for delivering a ladle of metal to be treated through said door into the lower portion of said one part, a vertically movable injection nozzle suspended in said one part above the lower portion of said one part, means for raising and lowering said nozzle from a position in the ladle to a raised position free of said ladle, means in the other of said parts for automatically delivering a preselected amount of material to be injected into a gas stream for delivering to the nozzle and control means energizing said delivery means at preselected intervals, said means for raising and lowering the nozzle being a cable carrying a pulley over which passes a flexible hose forming a part of said means for delivering material, said hose being connected at one end to one end of said nozzle and said cable being connected to a drum operable adjacent the control means.
 2. An apparatus for injecting pulverulent solid additive materials into molten metal by a moving gas stream comprising a housing divided vertically into two side by side parts separated by a divider wall, one of said parts being completely enclosed, a door opening into said one part, means for delivering a ladle of metal to be treated through said door into the lower portion of said one part, a vertically movable injection nozzle suspended in said one part above the lower portion of said one part, means for raising and lowering said nozzle from a position in the ladle to a raised position free of said ladle, means in the other of said parts for automatically delivering a preselected amount of material to be injected into a gas stream for delivering to the nozzle and control means energizing said delivery means at preselected intervals, said one enclosed part being provided with louvers for admission of air. 